Child Friendly Home Decorating

by Joey Lewitin

Just because you have children doesn’t mean that your home can’t be neat and attractive. Sure kids can be a hazard, bringing chaos and destruction with them wherever they go, mindlessly breaking, smashing, and cracking both your possessions, and their own frail bodies. However a little planning, forethought, and logic should allow you to create spaces that are both attractive, and child proof.

One of the first things you should do to make your home more children friendly is to remove any traces of clutter that you may have. Everyone has a little clutter in their home. It can consist of old favors or decorations, gifts from friends, useless tchotchkes and toys, and pieces that you really don’t need lying around in the open. Each of these pieces is a potential hazard, acting as something that can fall or hurt the child, or as something that the child can drop or smash.

Rather you should strive to have as simple and Zen a home as possible. Choose just one or two decorative pieces per room, and set them as focal points. Then leave the rest of the space as open and as empty as possible so that there are no obstructions for the children to bump into or knock over.

In a home where kids are present, you should also try to choose furnishings which are extremely durable. You want pieces that won’t easily rip, tear, or burst, and that can survive the punishing treatment that rambunctious children can dish out. In some cases your inclination may be to buy cheep or poorly made items assuming that they will eventually be destroyed. However this is a recipe for disaster, as you will end up with a home filled with damaged broken items that will have to be constantly repaired.

In general you also want to try and stay away from modern, perfect looking pieces. Anything that has solid colors, or a polished smooth surface, can easily be chipped and marred. What is worse is that these furnishings will show their damage more readily, as it will stand out against the rest of the pieces perfect surface.

Rather you should try to find sturdy, well made vintage furniture to use in your home. Solid antiques and or pieces that are firmly built, but have a distressed finish will help to add elegance to the space, while also hiding any damage or scratches that may occur from the children. Furniture painted with exotic multi colored patterns will also help to hide dirt and dust.

One of the best ways to create a child friendly environment is to get them involved in the decorating. Whenever its time to buy a new decorative piece or some new furniture, take them along and get them involved in the process. Try to teach them about style, and color, and matching, and then listen to their opinions. If they are involved in the way the home is decorated, they will start to feel responsible for it, and will take more care when they play throughout the house.

Decorating for children doesn’t have to mean cartoons and silly characters. You just have to try and create a home which accommodates their energy and excitement. Try to remove clutter, and choose furnishings which are durable, and will tend to hide imperfections and scratches that may arise. In this way you can create a space that is both beautiful, and well suited to the kids in your life.